APPLICATION OF NOVEL PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES TO A STRUCTURAL AND METAMORPHIC MAP OF THE PAMPEAN OROGENIC BELT, NW ARGENTINA

With the advent of Google Earth™ and similar software, the expectations of map users regarding the presentation of geographic information have escalated. The software that people use daily for driving directions is now comparable to the high-end GIS lab facilities of only a decade ago. Geologists need to adapt to the accelerating pace of presentation technology and to the shift from hard-drive storage to Internet-based data repositories. We present, as an example, recent work in the Sierras Pampeanas region of NW Argentina. We have adapted our base maps to include: (i) interactive block diagrams and stereographic nets using linked XML data sources, (ii) selectable transparent overlays for data types and deformation phases, (iii) linked mesoscopic and microscopic data, and (iv) multilingual options. We draped our base geological map onto the Google Earth DEM and saved it as a .kmz file. Using Google SketchUp™ software, we created cross-sections and block diagrams linked to distinct structural provinces. Time-sensitive block diagrams and animated stereographic projections were developed using our own custom Flash™ software. Animations permit one to detect patterns or trends over space and time that might not be clear in static format. Google Earth placemarks were used to compile a tour of key locations with links to field photos, photomicrographs, and analytical data. Map users are able to customize their tour, changing the starting point, view angle, scale, and layer visibilities, for example. They can rapidly zoom from regional- to outcrop-scale and pan across the mapped area, given the manageable files sizes. The result is not just glitz, but rather a digital map that serves as a testable model for the tectonic synthesis presented.